The Filmumentaries Podcast
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98 episodes
For episode 99 I interviewed friend, David Whiteley. If you don't know David, you should! He's a news presenter, but also a huge Star Wars Fan. And, has made two fantastic documentaries about the subject. Firstly "The Galaxy that Britain Built" and secondly "Toy Empire". Both are a must-watch for fans like us. David also produced a book which gathers together the interviews his conducted for "The Galaxy that Britain Built". It's available on Amazon here https://amzn.to/3TNL61U. Check it out! And then BUY IT! Talking of books, don't forget that Justin Berger and I have now pre-released our Return of the Jedi - Unauthorized Timeline https://amzn.to/3TNL61U book as an ebook on Amazon. Donate Button https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AUKL6Y869RU8C All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries
For episode 98, I am joined by my guest from episode 2, Giles Terera, actor, writer, musician and great friend of mine. He suggested to me a few months back that we should do a commentary on The Empire Strikes Back. So last month that's just what we did. I went up to central London to his flat, armed with two mics and we sat at watched and waffled over our favourite film. I hope you enjoy the episode. If you want to watch along, hit play on the movie just as the intro music (after my spoken introduction) ends. Or just listen to the episode for some chat and fun insights. I reckon we'll do a Return of the Jedi commentary at some point. Particularly because Giles has worked with several of the British actors in that movie. Enjoy! Donate Button https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AUKL6Y869RU8C All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries
In episode 97 of the Filmumentaries podcast, I interview helicopter stunt pilot Fred North. Fred shares his journey from a childhood fascination with helicopters to becoming a successful stunt pilot in Hollywood. He emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities for oneself and having a shark-like drive to keep moving forward. Fred also discusses the art of flying a helicopter and the importance of connecting with the machine. He shares insights on working with directors and understanding their vision to offer creative solutions. Takeaways __ __ Chapters00:00 Introduction and Patreon Support 03:35 First Encounter with Helicopter 06:27 From Childhood Fascination to Becoming a Stunt Pilot 08:20 Shark-Like Drive and Embracing New Opportunities 10:42 Dealing with Mistakes and Learning from Them 12:30 The Importance of Having an Open Mind and Connecting with People 14:24 Writing the Book to Share His Journey 25:08 The Role of Instinct and Connection in Flying 28:21 Finding a Way into the Film Industry 35:25 Understanding the Director's Vision and Offering Creative Solutions 41:06 QR Codes in the Book and Making it Entertaining 42:18 Closing Remarks and Future Episodes All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries
I hope you enjoyed my archival interview episodes in December 2023, one with Producer Robert Watts, the other with actor Garrick Hagon. Well now we are back to some recent interviews, I can tell you I’ve been busy lining these up ready for 2024! So… for the first, its a pretty big one, well it’s a very big one - Thanks to the lovely folks at ILM, I was given the chance to interview director Gareth Edwards and his FX crew on The Creator. I’d be trying to get Gareth on via a mutual friend of ours but given Gareth is currently doing press about the nominations the film has received, so it was perfect timing. So you’ll hear my conversion with Gareth along with VFX supervisors Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Charmain Chan, Andrew Roberts and Jay Cooper as well as SFX supervisor Neil Corbould. There is an exclusive video version of the podcast on the filmumentaries youtube channel so that you can see all of us talking while I paint the interviews with some of the VFX breakdown clips ILM kindly provided. So if you can, head over to youtube to check that out. So, we talk about: __ __ All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries
Ok, this is another one from the archives, but as with the Robert Watts recording, I’ve been wanting to put this one out in podcast form for a while too. This is a conversation I had with actor Garrick Hagon back in 2015. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, how about Biggs Darklighter. Yes, Garrick is well known for his mostly deleted scenes from Star Wars in which he plays Luke’s best pal. I’d met Garrick in the green room at a Star Wars Trilogy day at the BFI southbank earlier that year. I’d been invited there by my old mate Toby Phlipott, Jabba puppeteer and all round good guy. Garrick and I got chatting about how I’d done an interview with Toby and created what turned out to be a very popular video from it. So I suggested we do the same. In fact both of those videos are still on my vimeo channel. So I’ll also link to that in the show notes. As with all interviews, when making a video you often cut out certain bits that you don’t need. But with a podcast you can make it more long form. So that’s what I’ve done here. The interview was done over the phone, so it won’t sound as good as some of my more recent episodes. But it’s still definitely very listenable. All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries
This is one from the archives, but I’ve been wanting to put this out in podcast for for some time now. Its my interview with the legendary producer ROBERT WATTS from back in July 2018. My cameraman buddy Paddy and I visited Robert at his home, and a lovely home it was too. He was on such great form and just a delight to be with. We arrived armed with some F1 signed caps from Hamilton and Vettel because a little birdy had told us he was a motorsport fan. And he was absolutely delighted. That little birdy was actually David Whitely, who is going to be a guest on this very podcast in the coming weeks. It wasn’t of course ever intended to be a podcast, so you’ll hear my questions slightly off mic, but of course this is all about Robert and his work on 2001, Thunderball, Star Wars, Raiders, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi etc, so I'm sure you can forgive some audio irregularities. As the recording starts, Robert and I are talking about Stuart Freeborn and his creation of Yoda. You’ll also hear friend of the podcast Paddy Tyndall ask the occasional question. I hope you enjoy it. All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries
I was recently given the opportunity, by the folks at ILM, to talk to two VFX supervisors that worked on Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1. Namely Jeff Sutherland and Simone Coco. So as you might imagine I jumped at the chance and within 24 hours we were chatting. In this conversation we discuss their work on Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 and the unique challenges they face. They talk about the impact of practical elements on their VFX work, the importance of creating scale and believability, and the balance between realism and creativity. We also discuss the collaboration with stunt teams, the adaptation to new camera technology, and the always evolving role of VFX in filmmaking. They share their experiences in finding creative solutions and maintaining freshness and objectivity. Just so that you know who is who, Jeffrey is the first to speak after me, and Simone is the one with the Italian accent. All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
Now, for this exciting episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Spina. Tom is an avid Star Wars enthusiast, restoration specialist, and the founder of Tom Spina Designs and Regal Robot. In our conversation, we delve into his early love for Star Wars and those toys, his passion for computer graphics on his Amiga, his brief stint as a TD in live TV, and his current work in restoring historical movie props. We also touch on his Star Wars Celebration panel, his interactions with the film saga's crew, props, and monsters. It's a fascinating insight into his creative process, and I hope you enjoy our conversation. All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this episode, the second of November 2023, I spoke with director, producer and editor Jeremy Coon. Jeremy was the producer on the 2007 film Napoleon Dynamite. But I spoke to him in his editor director capacity about the new documentary “A Disturbance in the Force’, which I was lucky enough to see at the UK premiere in London last week. The documentary chronicles the story behind the bizarre and legendary Star Wars Holiday Special. The 1978 TV special full of growling wookies, odd dance numbers and a “revisit” of sorts to the cantina, run be Bea Arthur usual and awkward appearances from the main cast of Star Wars. This is a shorter than usual episode, but I wanted to get it out to you before the documentary is released on 5th December So here is my conversation with Jeremy Coon, director and editor of Disturbance in the Force. I hope you enjoy it. All the links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
In this episode (number 90!!), I share an enlightening conversation with the creators of the "RoboDoc" series - a comprehensive documentary on the iconic sci-fi film, RoboCop. The team includes directors Chris Griffith and Eastwood Allen, and producer Gary Smart. The trio talks in-depth about how they transformed their passion project into a widely acclaimed series over several years. They reveal that their journey was far from smooth, battling legal issues, budget constraints, and meeting stringent fair-use criteria, among other challenges. Their tenacity to produce a series that deeply analyses every scene of the cult classic is ultimately what led to the final output. The documentary features over 100 interviews with cast, writers, producers, special effects designers and countless crew members of the Robocop universe to provide fans with an incredibly detailed and insightful look into this much-loved franchise. The creators finally discuss distribution, the importance of physical media, and their hopes for future projects. In the meantime “stay out of trouble”... ROBODOC: The Creation of RoboCop. A 4-part limited series detailing the making of the seminal sci-fi movie, RoboCop (1987)STREAMING NOW: 🇬🇧Prime Video via The Icon Film Channel https://amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0CH1KNG4F/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r 🇺🇸Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and other VOD via Screambox. https://amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B6RMSB7S/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r 💿 BLU-RAY 🇬🇧 SPECIAL EDITION (REGION B) http://amzn.eu/d/gxlS6yP 🇺🇸 COLLECTOR’S EDITION (REGION A) https://amazon.com/RoboDoc-Creation-RoboCop-Collectors-Blu-ray/dp/B0CCPN6GT3/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=252FVPA3ZL757&keywords=robodoc&qid=1700245014&sprefix=robod%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-4 All the Filmumentaries links https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
If you listened to episode 87 you’ll have heard my conversation with the British Film Institutes Douglas Weir. He’s Technical and Remastering lead there and does great work with his team to restore and release films from British classics to lost gems. He invited me back to talk to him and his colleague Vic Pratt - film historian and Video Publishing Producer. So I got together with them both at BFI Southbank last week to talk about some of their new projects. One of their blu ray releases out this month is Short Sharp Shocks a wonderful collection of short films which… well I won’t say any more just now, you’ll hear everything about it in out conversation. Just grab a glass of brandy, get a blanket and pull your chair closer to the fireplace. Enjoy. All the links! https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this episode, number 88, I spoke with Mac Smith about the path he took to his career as Supervising Sound Editor and employee of Skywalker Sound, via marching bands, a chance meeting with Walter Murch, being propelled into the industry working for Robert Zemekis on Castaway. And so much more. Listen in for the full story. Thanks to the folks at Skywalker Sound for helping set this up. All the links! https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this episode, number 87 I spoke to The British Film Institute’s Remastering and Technical lead Douglas Weir. Doug had recently introduced a screening of Jaws at the BFI back in June of this year. It wasn’t just any old print of Jaws, it was a near pristine dye transfer print that a colleague of Doug’s found in the archive. After the screening which was amazing, I contacted Doug to see if he’d come on the podcast to talk about that print and about his career at BFI. It turns out he is already a listener of the podcast and was very keen to chat. So Doug invited me up to the southbank based BFI and along with his colleague, I got a back stage tour, checking out all the old projectors and film reels (I’ve posted some photos on the filmumentaries Instagram page). Doug and I then sat down for an hour for a chat, covering a multitude of topics including Jaws, the limits of restoration from both a techinical POV as well as what should be restored Vs what can be achieved. I hope you enjoy it. All the links! https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this episode, number 86, I spoke with VFX Supervisor Charmaine Chan. We chatted back in mid June 2023 on a boiling hot day here in London. We talked about Charmaine's entry into the industry via running a website about a particular girl group that you might have heard of. She then went onto to be a researcher and compositor at ILM, and most recently a VFX supervisor on Gareth Edwards' visually dazzling, “The Creator” - out on 29th September 2023. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it. Listen in for the rest of the conversation. Links __ __ This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this episode, number 85, the firstone of September 2023, I have VFX supervisor of choice for both Spielberg and Scorcese, namely Pablo Helman. Pablo and I spoke back in June 2023 about his career path and his work for Stephen and Marty. There will be a video version available for those of you that contribute via patreon on the second tier. Pablo left his home of Argentina in the early 1990s to work in the VFX industry in California. He initially worked on films like Apollo 13 and Strange Days before joining ILM in 1996. He went on to work on Jurassic Park 2, Contact, Saving Private Ryan, The Phantom Menace and more recently The Irishman, Mank and The Fablemans. A fascinating guy. Links Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Etsy Shop - Buy your Jabba print here https://www.etsy.com/shop/Filmumentaries Filmumentaries Merch https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning Linktree https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
This time I have the pleasure of sharing my conversations with Skywalker Sound’s Co-Supervising Sound Editor Matthew Wood, Sound Designer David W Collins and Re-recording Mixer Danielle Dupre. I spoke with Matthew and David together and then separately with Danielle. Matthew and David are Emmy nominated for Mandalorian Chapter 24, Matthew his also nominated for his work on Obi Wan Kenobi Part VI (6) Danielle has also been nominated for her work on Obi Wan Kenobo part 6. So first of all you'll hear my conversation with Matthew Wood and David W Collins then after the ads you’ll hear my conversation with Danielle. I hope you enjoy it. Links Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Etsy Shop - Buy your Jabba print here https://www.etsy.com/shop/Filmumentaries Filmumentaries Merch https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning Linktree https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this, the second special Emmy nominees episode I got to speak with friend of the podcast and former guest VFX Animation Supervisor Hal Hickel (check out episode 68 for that conversation) along with Grady Cofer, Production Visual Effects Supervisor. We chat about their work on the show, the balance of innovation and tradition, the use of certain tools of their trade and the collaborative nature of VFX work. Links Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Etsy Shop - Buy your Jabba print here https://www.etsy.com/shop/Filmumentaries Filmumentaries Merch https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning Linktree https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
Welcome to this special episode of the Filmumentaries Podcast. Episode 82 in fact. Today is a small diversion from the usual. Rather than film history, I have three guests who are very much part of the film now, or TV now. These three gentlemen are at the forefront of VFX on Disney+’s Emmy award nominated show, Andor. Genuinely one of my favourite shows for a long time. So for this month, August 2023, there will be three episodes, all conversations with ILM VFX and Skywalker sound artists and technicians in celebration of their Emmy nominations. Now if you are a regular listener to this podcast you’ll know that I hosted a panel at Star Wars celebration here in London back in May - I mention it to literally anyone that’ll listen. HAHA. On that panel were VFX experts Mohen Leo, TJ Falls and Scott Pritchard as well as special effects supervisor Richard Van Den Bergh. Now due to a complication backstage the panel was not recorded save for a few snippets that the ILM team shot. So I dedicated a whole episode to Richard Van Den Bergh about his career in special effects. That was episode 80 . And while not an episode specifically about Andor, we did talk about the show a little. (do check it out) Then very recently ILM got in touch and asked if I’d like to interview the three VFX guys on the podcast. They along with Richard have been nominated in the category of Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie. I immediately said yes and within 24 hours I was chatting with these wonderful artists again. So here’s my conversation with Mohen Leo - Production VFX Supervisor, TJ Falls, VFX Producer and Scott Pritchard, ILM VFX supervisor… Links Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Etsy Shop - Buy your Jabba print here https://www.etsy.com/shop/Filmumentaries Filmumentaries Merch https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning Linktree https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this episode, the second of July 2023, I spoke with Puppet Film Director and Creature Effects Artist Kevin McTurk. Kevin and I first connected on Facebook a couple of years ago, maybe it was more than that. We’ve been trying to find a suitable time to have him on the podcast since then. Well now is the time as Kevin has a project on Kickstarter as we speak. Kevin directs these amazing short films using puppetry and wonderfully atmospheric effects. He’s a veteran of creature effects in movies like Batman Returns, Jurassic Park, Galaxy Quest and King Kong. However, he is, as I said also a director of these amazing short films. He started with The Narrative of Victor Karloch a victorian ghost story. Then there was The Mill at Caulder’s End in a similar vein. The one that I first spotted was his third film “The Haunted Swordsman”. It’s quite extraordinary. You’ll hear us talk about it in the interview. Kevin’s latest project which is currently on Kickstarter is “Grylu Sker” an Icelandic folklore story. As of 25 July it has 18 days to go and is 75% funded. Do check it out. During the interview Kevin’s connection went a few times. So when I was editing the podcast I got back in touch with Kevin to help me fill in the gaps. So you’ll hear me a couple of times, just clarifying what Kevin was saying. It shouldn’t be too distracting. So here’s my interview with Puppet Film Director and Creature Effects Artist Kevin McTurk. I hope you enjoy it. GRYLU SKER - KICKSTARTER http://kck.st/3PNwNc2 THE SPIRIT CABINET http://www.thespiritcabinet.com/ Other links Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Filmumentaries Merch https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning Linktree https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this episode, the first of July 2023, I spoke with Special Effects Supervisor Richard Van Den Bergh. I met Richard when he was one of the panellists on the Andor SFX/VFX panel at Star Wars Celebration in May this year. Richard is clearly an expert of his craft, whether it’s model making, making atmospherics or supervising. He’s had some much experience from starting in the industry on Ridley Scott's Legend, to his most recent work on Andor for which he was nominated for a Bafta. I hope you enjoy our conversations. Links Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Filmumentaries Merch https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning Linktree https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
My conversation today is with long time Lucasfilm film employee Miki Herman. She was engaged at Lucasfilm during the production of Star Wars and stayed long enough to work on the Ewok and Droids cartoons. She worked on the original Star Wars trilogy as production assistant, production coordinator and unit production manager, respectively. She was later a consultant for The Star Wars Holiday Special https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/The_Star_Wars_Holiday_Special and became co-executive producer of the Star Wars Droids https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Droids:_The_Adventures_of_R2-D2_and_C-3PO and Ewoks https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ewoks_(TV_series) animated series. Now, I always feel like I make a connection with my interviewees and Miki is no exception. She was smiling and occasionally laughing. But something seemed a little off. I’m not sure if my connection was delayed to her or something else was going on. But sometimes Miki's answers were quite short. So, todays conversation as I mentioned, is a little shorter than usual. But still worth your time. Big thanks for Miki for her time. LINKS Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Filmumentaries Merch https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning Linktree https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
For this episode, number 78, I spoke to composer Stu Phillips. Stu was born in 1929, is an American composer of film scores https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_score and television series theme music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_music, He’s also a conductor and record producer. Though he is probably best known for composing the theme tunes to the television series Battlestar Galactica https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_(1978) and Knight Rider https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Rider_(1982_TV_series). After a career spanning decades, in 2002, he published his autobiography Stu Who?: Forty Years of Navigating the Minefields of the Music Business. It's well worth checking out. Stu and I had tried to arrange a chat for months. I was unwell at one point, then I had some internet problems, then his phone line went down. But we finally managed to do it in May this year (2023). I have to say it was a genuine pleasure chatting to Stu. And as you’ll hear, he is as sharp as a tack at 93 years old. At one point in the conversation Stu and I talk about how artists borrow from each other all the time. Hang around at the end of this episode to hear what I found out after a deep dive into one particular track of Stu’s. As with my conversation with Peter Kuran (episode 75), I was having internet problems at the time, so there are a couple of drop outs. Some I’ve managed to edit around, others I haven’t so if you hear any little jumps in the conversation, that’s why. LINKS Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Filmumentaries Merch https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning Stu's Book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stu-Who-Alfred-Publishing-Staff/dp/0972036334 This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5530733/advertisement
Ok so for this episode, number 77 (cool number) I have a guest host in the shape of my co-author on the new Return of the Jedi Unauthorized timeline book, Justin Berger. So the conversation you’re about to hear is our interview with Jedi’s co-producer Jim Bloom about his time working on the film. We are so happy to say that he also wrote a wonderful introduction for the book. So today, 25th May, was supposed to be the release day of the book. Unfortunately Amazon let us down and we’ve had to delay until JUNE 1ST (JEDITIMELINE.COM) https://jeditimeline.com https://jeditimeline.comBasically our proof copies which should have arrived in a matter of a couple of days, didn’t arrive until too late. We didn’t want to put the book up for sale without having handled it ourselves to make sure everything is in order. Better to get this done properly than quickly. And in fact a couple of things have come to light since we decided to delay which are going to make this a better book anyway. There will be three versions of the book. The contents are the same in each but we have three versions to suit all pockets. The first is the colour hardback. The second is the colour softcover and thirdly there's a version with a colour softcover with black and white pages. That’s the cheapest of the bunch. If you can afford it, why not buy yourself a hardback cover one to keep and treasure and a softcover one to flick through at your leisure? So here’s our conversation with Jim Bloom. Justin’s internet died a couple of times so he doesn’t say a huge amount, but what he does say is great. Thanks to both of these gents for their time. Links Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Filmumentaries Merch! https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning The Man Who Shot Luke Skywalker https://www.themanwhoshotlukeskywalker.com/
This is a BONUS episode for May 2023. This is my conversation with editor Michael Harte about his new film "STILL: A MICHAEL J FOX MOVIE", which is out today in cinemas and on Apple TV. Listen out for some exclusive clips of the film during our conversation. I hope you enjoy it. https://twitter.com/AppleTV #AppleOriginals #STILL
For this episode, number 75, I spoke with filmmaker and optical VFX expert Peter Kuran. Peter was one of the few people employed by George Lucas on Star Wars and became a core crew member at Industrial Light and Magic. He went on to have a long career in VFX and then became a director in his own right. I should point out that we had internet problems so some of the recording is garbled or lost. I’ve edited around it in places and left it in in other places so you know that there was a piece missing. Apologies. We never found out if it was my connection or Peter’s. I hope you enjoy the conversation. LINKS Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Filmumentaries Merch! https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning THE MAN WHO SHOT LUKE SKYWALKER https://www.themanwhoshotlukeskywalker.com/
For this episode of the podcast, number 74, I spoke with VFX artist, expert, VFX twitter ambassador and all round good guy Todd Vaziri. Todd began his career right out of college and worked on shows like Charmed and Xena Warrior Princess for Flat Earth productions before moving to among others, Banned from the Ranch before landing at ILM for Attack of the Clones. Since then he’s worked on just about every ILM tentpole movie. So here is my conversation with ILM VFX artist Todd Vaziri. I hope you enjoy it. LINKS Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Filmumentaries Merch! https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning THE MAN WHO SHOT LUKE SKYWALKER https://www.themanwhoshotlukeskywalker.com/
EPISODE 73 If you remember, I interviewed House of the Dragon writer and showrunner, Ryan Condal back in September 2022, episode 59 I think. Well he and I have become friends and we chat quite a bit on Whatsapp. He suggested I speak to his Special Effects Supervisor on Dragon, Michael Dawson. “He’s been in the industry since Superman in the late 70’s. He’s a great guy and would be perfect for your podcast”. So, a couple of weeks ago I did indeed have a great chat with Mike. He not only worked on Superman, but also on the three original Indiana Jones films, Return of the Jedi, Return to Oz, Alien 3, Patriot Games, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and so many more! We didn’t get the chance to talk about all of them but we did have a great conversation about his job and his 45 plus years working in special effects. So here’s my chat with Special Effect Supervisor Michael Dawson. LINKS Return of the Jedi Timeline Book - Register your interest! https://filmumentaries.com/return-of-the-jedi-unauthorized-timeline-book/ Filmumentaries Merch! https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning
Welcome to this DVD extra type episode. Here is my conversation with Van Ling, the guest on episode 71, talking about his time at the fabled Banned From The Ranch Entertainment. I hope you enjoy this little extra bonus episode.
So for this episode I spoke with Van Ling. A name you may recognise. Perhaps for his work on laserdisc, DVD and blu ray, perhaps for his collaborations with James Cameron on The Abyss and Terminator 2 (you’ll love the story of how he got started with Cameron), or maybe for his time working on VFX at Banned From The Ranch Entertainment on films like Dante’s Peak or The Relic. Either way you’ll find his eclectic career fascinating. I spoke with Van just before our trip to LA. We were hoping to meet up for lunch while we were out there but the schedule was too tight. Maybe next time Van. So here is my interview with Van Ling, disc creator, VFX supervisor, director… Links Filmumentaries Merch! https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning
For this episode, number 70, I finally spoke with director Patrick Read Johnson. He recently released his many years in the making, labour of love 5-25-77. A film that semi fictionalises and chronicles the early life of a character, named Patrick Read Johnson and his love of movies like 2001 A Space Oddysey, Star Wars and Close Encounters. I saw an early cut of this about ten years ago with several scenes missing. Patrick and I connected over the release of my Star Wars Begins (still available to view for free on Vimeo by the way). 5-25-77 is currently available on blu ray and on several streaming platforms. So here’s my chat with the director of 5-25-77, Patrick Reid Johnson and I’ll be back at the end for a bit more jabbering on. LINKS Filmumentaries Merch! https://filmumentaries.creator-spring.com Support the Podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning
